14/03/2018 BBC News at One

The Prime Minister says 23

Russian diplomats will be

expelled from the UK,

after it ignored a deadline

to explain why a Soviet nerve agent

was used on a former

spy in Salisbury.

There is no alternative conclusion

other than the Russian estate --

state was culpable for the attempted

murder of Mr Skripal and his

daughter, and for threatening the

lives of other British citizens in

Salisbury, including Detective

Sergeant Nick Bailey.

Russia's Foreign Minister accuses

Britain of trying to mislead

the international community

about the poisoning

of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

We'll have the first

reaction to the measures,

in Westminster and Moscow.

Also this lunchtime...

Tributes pour in for

Professor Stephen Hawking,

one of the world's finest scientific

mind, who's died at the age of 76.

Here are the most important

pieces of advice I've

passed on to my children.

One, remember to look

up out of the stars

and not down at your feet.

Two, never give up work.

Work gives you meaning and purpose,

and life is empty without it.

From east coast to west coast,

school students in America

are about to begin a walk-out

to remember the victims of last

month's Florida school shooting.

And another medal for Paralympics GB

- Menna Fitzpatrick and her skiing

partner bring their medal tally

to three at the winter games.

In the sport on BBC News,

Antonio Conte prepares his Chelsea

players to "suffer" away

at Barcelona in the Champions League

later, but says they can get an away

goal in the last 16 second leg.

Good afternoon and welcome

to the News at One.

Apologies for the sound problems at

the start of your -- the programme.

In the last few minutes,

Theresa May has announced that

23 Russian diplomats will be

expelled in response

to the use of a Soviet-era

nerve agent in Salisbury,

to try to kill a former

Russian spy Sergei Skripal

and his daughter Yulia.

Theresa May has told MPs that 23

Russian diplomats will be expelled

from Britain. High-level contacts

with Russia are being suspended.

Moscow had declined to respond to a

midnight deadline set by Mrs May

foreheads to explain the use of a

Soviet era nerve agent in the

attack. The Prime Minister said

Russia had responded with sarcasm,

defiance and a complete disdain for

the gravity of the situation.

Jonathan Blake has the latest.

The Tampa talking had finished, the

time for action had come. Senior

Cabinet ministers came and went from

Number 10 this morning, were Theresa

May staged a meeting of the National

Security Council and organised

measures against Russia in response

to an attack on a former spy. The

Prime Minister went to Parliament to

set out what the UK would do.

Under

the Vienna Convention, the United

Kingdom will now expelled 23 Russian

diplomats who have been identified

as undeclared intelligence officers.

They have just one week to leave.

This will be the single stab --

single biggest expulsion from more

than 30 years and it reflects the

fact this is not the first time the

Russian state has acted against our

country. Through these expulsions we

will fundamentally degrade Russian

intelligence capability in the UK

for years to come. And if they seek

to rebuild it, we will prevent them

from doing so.

The government had

promised a robust response. MPs were

keen to hear how it planned to act.

We will increase checks on private

flights, customs and freight. We

will freeze Russian state assets

where we have the evidence they may

be used to threaten the life and

property of UK nationals residents.

And led by the National Crime

Agency, we will continue to bring

all the capabilities of UK law

enforcement to bear against serious

criminals and corrupt elites. There

is no place for these people are

their money in our country.

The

Prime Minister outlined changes to

the diplomatic relationship with

Russia.

Will suspend all high-level

bilateral contacts between the

United Kingdom and the Russian

Federation, including revoking the

invitation to Sergei Lavrov to visit

the UK, and confirming they will be

no attendance by ministers are

members of the Royal family at the

World Cup in Russia this summer.

Labour had wanted new laws targeting

individuals and their finances,

hitting the Russians were hit hard.

This would mean you follow the

money. In other words, you name

individuals and others who have

committed human rights abuses,

whether Russians are anywhere, just

like Obama did in America, you name

the man prevent the use of the

financial services.

The attack in

Salisbury has led to diplomatic

deadlock and action by one country

against another. Last night the

Russian Embassy threatened

retaliation. With the UK's position

now clear, Russia will be preparing

its next move.

Jonathan Blake, BBC News,

Westminster.

In a moment we'll speak

to Richard Galpin in Moscow.

But first, let's talk

to our assistant political editor,

Norman Smith, at Westminster.

A very strong statement, a lot in

there. The reference to the World

Cup. Talk us through those key

elements?

Mrs May has signalled the

government will arm itself with a

package of measures which will

punish Russia not just through the

expulsion of more than 20 diplomats,

the biggest expulsion of diplomats

in more than 30 years, but also the

suggestion that the government will

look at fresh counterespionage

legislation, tighter restrictions on

Russians coming into the UK, and

examined possibly curbs on the flow

of Russian money into the City of

London. A whole range of measures

prompted not just by the Salisbury

attack, but also by the Russian

response to the Salisbury attack.

Mrs May accusing the Russians of

responding with sarcasm, disdain and

contempt. Pointing, for example, to

the light-hearted Twitter responses

to the attack. At the same time it

was a response prompted by Russia's

previous conduct. Of course, the

murder of Alexander Litvinenko, the

interference in western elections,

the cyber warfare. And lastly, Mrs

May suggested this was a moment for

the West to defend its values. So

that underpinned the reasons for the

scale of the response. But

significant as well, I think, that

Mrs May did not pick up many of the

suggestions floated when she made

her initial statement on Monday.

There was no move to close down

Russia today ordered to withdraw the

football team from the World Cup.

Limited information about further

possible economic sanctions. I think

that suggests the government want to

have a range of measures that are

deliverable and realistic. They do

not want to make claims which they

can then not followed through on.

This is a very carefully calibrated

set of sanctions against Russia,

albeit government figures fully

expect reprisals by Moscow.

Norman, thank you.

Richard Galpin is in Moscow for us.

Has there been any immediate

reaction there?

No, not so far. It

is obviously too early. I would

imagine the Kremlin will be mulling

over very carefully what Theresa May

has just announced. Earlier in the

day there was angry rhetoric coming

from Sergei lag -- Sergei Lavrov. He

said Russia had no motive to carry

out this attack and the

investigation essentially was pretty

much a joke. They had not found any

evidence or any facts. They were

also saying that they had destroyed

their chemical weapons. I think

there are certain elements that will

be taken seriously by the Russians.

Obviously the attempt to dismantle

Russia's intelligence operation in

Britain, I think, is very

significant. We know there are a

large number of Russian spies

operating covertly and placed in the

Russian Embassy, very large numbers.

The largest number since the Cold

War. I think that will have an

impact. I think also this plan to

introduce law amendments is

significant. It targets government

officials the world who have been

accused of human rights abuses. They

could face travel bans and

sanctions. That could affect a

significant number of Russian

officials.

Richard Galpin, many thanks.

Our diplomatic correspondent,

James Robbins, is here.

There is a lot in this. What are

your initial thoughts?

I just want

to focus on one set of numbers. I

think that tells us a lot of this

story. 23 diplomats are being kicked

out. Theresa May said that they are

undeclared intelligence officers,

spies. That is a huge proportion of

Russia's diplomatic representation

in London. There are only 58 names

on the London diplomatic list. So

effectively, Britain is expelling,

by my calculation, just over 39%.

Almost 40% of all the diplomats in

London. Russian diplomats.

Proportionately it is huge. It may

not seem Lawrence. Remember, Britain

expelled 105 Soviet diplomats at the

height of the Cold War in 1951. But

that was less than 20% of the 550

total then in the UK. This is almost

double in terms of proportion. This

is by far the largest proportionate

expulsion we have ever made.

Therefore, we can expect, I think,

retaliation from the Russians. If

they go ahead with their threat to

conduct tit-for-tat, we can expect a

lot of diplomats coming back from

Russia.

James Robinson, thank you.

With strong economic ties

between Russian and Britain, any

sanctions could harm both economies.

Naomi Grimley looks at how

the Kremlin might react

to the Prime Minister's

announcement.

Time has run out. Ever since Theresa

May issued her ultimatum to Russia,

the international community has been

speculating about what the UK would

do and how Russia in turn would

respond. For his part, the Russian

Foreign Minister is adamant.

Britain's accusations are unfounded.

TRANSLATION:

There is only

backsliding. We have not seen any

progress. We still haven't received

any official request from London in

regard to the poisoning of Skripal

and his daughter.

He is now no

longer welcome on official business

in the UK. And Britain says it has

identified 23 undeclared

intelligence officers who now have a

week to leave this Embassy. It is

the largest expulsion of Russian

diplomats for more than 30 years. A

tit-for-tat response means British

diplomats in Moscow will now be

expecting a similar call. After

Alexander Litvinenko's murder from

radioactive poisoning, the UK kicked

out of four Russian officials. Four

British officials were sent home at

the same time. It is well known that

super rich Russians like London as a

destination for shopping and living

the high life. Transparency

International says of £4.4 billion

worth of property board with

suspicious wealth in the UK, more

than a fifth has been purchased by

Russians. The UK Government will now

impose travel bans and asset freezes

on those individuals here with links

to the Kremlin. Some are nervous

that British business interests

could suffer a backlash.

If you are

going after Russians and sanctions

you face a backlash from the Russian

government. There are Russian

companies, there are UK companies in

Russia who are possibly vulnerable

to counter sanctions. We know the

Russian parliament are preparing met

-- Murer measures.

Sanctions were

introduced by the EU and the US

after Russia's annexation of Crimea

and its support... Those measures

may have pit the Russian economy but

have they changed President Putin's

behaviour on the world stage? Row

that is a harder question to answer.

Naomi Grimley, BBC News.

Our business editor,

Simon Jack, is here.

Give us a sense of the scale of the

ties between Britain and Russia?

We

tend to focus on Russians over here,

but let's remind ourselves that BP,

one of our biggest companies, owns

one fifth of Russia's most valuable

company, Rosneft. Quite exposed.

That is why you saw today quite a

distinct attempt to separate the

business interests, those kind of

business ties, from the diplomatic

and the political. For example,

there was no talk of cutting Russian

banks from the inter-payment system.

That would've very aggravating.

Anyway they have done the political

and diplomatic, and left the

business untouched. Yes, some extra

checks on people coming in from

Russia, which may be a little bit

embarrassing, a little bit

embarrassing. Yes, we had the extra

power is being added. Frankly, there

is not much in there that you

couldn't do through the criminal

finances act anyway. All in all I

think this was very mindfully trying

to leave the legitimate business

interests out of this particular

diplomatic picture, and there were

warm words for those people like

Roman Abramovic, who do their

business perfectly legitimately. She

was keen to point out that lots of

legitimate business goes on and we

don't want to interrupt that.

Simon Jack.

Now the other main story this

lunchtime.

Tributes have been pouring

in from around the world

for the renowned physicist

Professor Stephen Hawking,

who's died at the age of 76.

Famous for his work on black

holes and relativity,

he was diagnosed with motor

neurone disease in 1964,

and told he had only

a few years to live.

Over the subsequent

decades, he shaped modern

cosmology and inspired

a generation of scientists.

Pallab Ghosh looks back

at a remarkable life and career.

He celebrated his 75th birthday at

Cambridge University. His work has

transformed our understanding of the

universe put up as well as a

scientific achievements it was a

tribute to his determination and

humanity.

When I was diagnosed at 21

I would told it would kill me into

three years. Now 54 years later, I'm

in a wheelchair but still working

and producing scientific papers.

Stephen Hawking tackle the issue of

what happened to objects when they

fell into black holes. It had been

thought nothing could escape but he

came up with a theory that a type of

radiation emerged as material go

into them. His work helped

scientists gain deeper insight into

the formation of the universe. As

well as his own work he would often

talk about the social responsibility

that scientists had and he was

especially concerned about President

Trump and his decision to withdraw

from the Paris climate change

treaty.

We are close to the tipping

point for a global warming becomes

irreversible. That could push the

earth over the edge.

Stephen Hawking

was gathered to three children and

speaking last year his daughter said

that his life was an inspiration to

all.

People who have lived in

extreme circumstances seem to find

something remarkable in his

persistence and ability to rise

above his suffering and still want

to communicate at a higher level.

Here are the most important pieces

of advice that I have passed on to

my children. Remember to look up at

the stars is not down at your feet.

Never give up work.

Tributes of

coming from around the world. In a

statement the US space agency Nasa

said that his theories had lobbed a

universe of possibility. And we in

the world are exploring them. The

actor Eddie red mane who won an

Oscar for his betrayal of the three

said we have lost a truly beautiful

mind. An astonishing scientist and

the funniest man I've ever the

pleasure to meet. His three children

said that their father had once said

it would not be much of a universe

if it was not home to the people you

love. We will miss him forever. He

became the worlds most famous

scientist. From his TV appearances

in The Simpsons he reached people

not normally interested in science.

He even appeared on Star Trek. With

Sir Isaac Newton.

The legacy will be

the scientists he inspired and there

will be thousands of them. And they

are still being inspired today.

If

you reverse time the universe is

getting smaller.

In 2014 his life

was dramatised in the theory of

everything. At Cambridge University

unveiled a statue of him, a rare

honour for someone still living. But

few did more to challenge our

understanding of the universe and

overcome personal challenges.

Professor Stephen Hawking,

who's died at the age of 76.

Our top story this lunchtime.

The Prime Minister says 23

Russian diplomats will be

expelled from the UK -

after it ignored a deadline

to explain why a Soviet nerve agent

was used on a former spy

in Salisbury.

Coming up in sport.

Imad Cheltenham and there could be a

big win for one of the top female

jockeys here at ladies day.

Could Mark Hughes be

named as the new manager

at Southampton later?

The former Manchester City and Stoke

boss is close to agreeing a deal

to replace the sacked

Maurico Pelligrino.

In the next hour, school students

across America will begin a walkout

to remember the victims of last

month's Florida school shooting -

and press politicians

to pass stricter gun laws.

Pupils will leave their

classes for 17 minutes -

one minute for each person

who was killed.

The protest is the latest move

in an increasingly polarised debate

about gun control in the US -

as Dan Johnson reports.

Parkland, Florida.

One month ago.

17 dead in the sort of school

shooting that's become familiar.

One week later, a backlash

beyond anything seen before.

Young people saying,

enough is enough.

We're going to keep pushing

until something is done.

Because people are dying and this

can't happen any more.

And the President

was forced to listen.

I turned 18 the day after.

Woke up to the news that my

best friend was gone.

And I don't understand why

I could still go into a store

and buy a weapon of war.

But the National Rifle Association

had some old warnings.

Their goal is to eliminate

the Second Amendment.

And our firearms freedoms.

So they can eradicate

all individual freedoms.

Some stores raised the age

for buying guns to 21,

others ended discounts

for gun owners.

The president though favoured

more guns in schools.

It is concealed so this crazy man

who walked in wouldn't even know

who it is that has it.

That's good.

That's not bad, that's good.

And a teacher would have shot

the hell out of him before

he knew what happened.

Today right across America kids

will walk out of class.

We are tired of having

to feel afraid when we

come into our schools.

We want to feel safe here.

That could have been us,

but it was them and I think that

really struck a chord

with a lot of us.

We stand in solidarity

with the mission to make

sure something like this

never happens again.

So many shootings,

yet so little change.

The voice of the young, though,

is getting harder to ignore.

Dan Johnson, BBC News.

CBS correspondent Nikki Battiste

is outside the school

in Parkland, Florida.

Just tell us a bit more about the

students, and everything they are

planning across the country today.

The students here refused to be

silenced, their leading the

nationwide student walk-out today to

remember the classmates that last

and they want to continue the fight

for gun reform. Around 3000 schools

here in the US are expected to have

students walking out 17 minutes, one

minute for each of the victims of

the parkland shooting a month ago.

There will also observe a moment of

silence and possibly wear orange,

the current - the colour that is a

symbol of gun violence awareness. It

happened at ten o'clock local time

and these students, this is not the

end for them. They will continue

this fight. On March the 24th in

Washington there will be a protest

were hundreds of thousands are

expected. They're prepared to cross

the country. There is some concern

about whether the walk-outs are good

but one psychologist said it could

benefit the students to give them a

voice. And once daddy shows that

teens who participate in activism

are likely to have a higher

education and higher income than

teenagers who do not. So that is

giving parents a bit more

encouragement for the but students

are worried about disciplinary

action. Some schools in the US are

discouraging students from

dissipating in this walk today. Some

schools say they could give them

detention or mark them as absent.

Thank you.

West Mercia police say they're

currently dealing with 46 young

people who are victims of child

sexual exploitation,

or are at risk of being abused,

in Telford in Shropshire.

It comes after an investigation

by a national newspaper suggested up

to a thousand girls could have been

sexually assaulted in the town

over the last 40 years.

Sima Kotecha reports.

Night-time in Telford.

Recent reports say up to 1000 girls

could have been sexually

abused in the town over

the last four decades.

The police here say

the moment they are dealing

with less than 50 cases.

We know that we currently

are working jointly with the local

authority, with 46 young people

between the age of 13 and 19.

And they are people we have

identified are at risk.

Not necessarily being offended

against, we're working

with them to prevent them

from becoming victims.

And those that have been,

to identify offenders

and prosecute them.

In 2013 seven men including these

two brothers Adil and Mubarak Ali,

were jailed after police launched

an investigation into child

prostitution in the town.

Some believe white, vulnerable girls

are still being targeted

by mainly Asian gangs.

Holly told the BBC she was groomed,

beaten and raped in Telford.

I'd be being sold maybe two or three

times a night and the people

who would pay for the girls

in Telford, there was men

of every race, religion,

coming in there and wanting

to pay for girls.

Politicians across the region are

calling for an independent enquiry.

Police here say they welcome

any scrutiny into what

they are doing and why.

However there are some deep concerns

that they are not doing enough.

Local MP Lucy Allen is calling

for more action to keep vulnerable

girls on the streets safe.

The authorities in Telford do not

deny there is a problem with child

sexual exploitation.

They say it is happening

all over the country.

However the scale of the problem

is what is being contested.

Paralympics GB have

taken their fifth medal

at the Winter games -

after Menna Fitzpatrick

and her guide Jen Kehoe took silver

in the women's visually

impaired giant slalom.

It's the pair's third

medal in these Olympics.

Kate Grey is in Pyeongchang.

If you have been following the

Paralympics you will know the names

Menna Fitzpatrick and Jen Kehoe. The

slopes have been happy hunting

ground for the pair and today no

exception.

This is what it means

to win a Paralympic medal.

Menna Fitzpatrick and her guide

Jen Kehoe today added

to their medal tally.

This time in the giant slalom.

After two faultless runs down

the Jong Sun slopes,

the silver medal was theirs.

The pair clearly savouring every

moment of their first

Paralympic experience.

And following the long

day in the mountains,

here at the Medal Plaza

is where they come to collect

their reward in front

of proud family and friends.

They think of each other

like sisters, I think.

It is so lovely to see.

It is lovely for us and I think that

bond and that relationship

is a really key part of what's been

happening here this week.

As you saw before, Jen was in tears

and now I'm nearly doing the same.

Try not to ruin my mascara!

Don't ruin the make up!

Today was not just about

the British success.

There has been plenty of other

action taking place particularly

at the Alpensia resort,

home to the cross-country skiing.

And the sprint events

are always an exciting watch.

A staggered start format with

the less able athletes going first.

Then the chase begins.

Britain's Scott Meenagh didn't make

it through to the sitting final

but it turned out to be a thrilling

race with the American Andrew Soule

sneaking the victory.

Meanwhile at the curling,

Britain won their first match

against Germany but then lost

to the USA.

Some basic errors saw the match slip

away from them and maybe with it,

their chances of a medal.

Tomorrow we have curling again and

facing the top two teams in the

round robin standards and that will

decide whether they make it through

to the play-offs. So expect another

tight and nail-biting day on the ice

for the curlers.

It's Ladies day at the Cheltenham

festival, and after Lizzie Kelly

rode to victory yesterday,

there are high hopes for another

female jockey this afternoon.

Bryony Frost is one of the leading

contenders in the RSA

Chase, and is regarded as one

of horse racing's most

promising young riders.

Andy Swiss reports from Cheltenham.

It is jump racing's very

own fashion parade.

Ladies Day at Cheltenham.

And while for some here

it is all about the wearing, for one

woman it is all about the winning.

This is Bryony Frost

and her horse Black Corton.

Barely a year ago Frost

was a little-known amateur

but after more than 30 wins this

season she's the sport's rising

star, now hoping her favourite horse

can carry her to new heights.

I mean this little chap,

he means the world to me.

You know, I will never have a horse

in my career that I will go

through the same climb as I have

with this lad.

I started off as a conditional,

a baby, basically and this lad

started off as a novice.

Black Corton is one of the main

contenders this afternoon.

No woman has ever been jump racing's

champion jockey but at just 22,

Frost is already being tipped

for great things.

I think if she rides 40,

50 winners a year and really good

winners it would be good

for the sport and she will be very,

very happy with that.

Who knows where the

future might take her.

It would be good if she did

or if one day in the future a girl

was champion jockey.

And this festival has already seen

success for female riders.

A victory yesterday

for Lizzie Kelly.

Recent research showed women jockeys

don't get the same opportunities

as men but perform just as well.

A point that today could once again

be gloriously proved.

From the frost is racing at ten past

two and then at half past three the

Queen Mother Champion Chase. Cloudy

and breezy conditions for the 60,000

fans here but plenty for them to

look forward to.

Time for a look at the weather.

Here's Helen Willets.

We do have some sunshine on offer as

you can see here in Norwich. At

Cheltenham already that cloud has

come in. We have a massive area of

low pressure driving the weather

across much of Western Europe. That

is pushing that rain into the

western side of the UK. This is how

it looks at the moment, warnings out

for Northern Ireland got it will

rain for the next 24 hours here. So

for many probably two or three hours

but the added concern of that gale

force wind and onion across Devon

and Cornwall for the rush-hour

and Cornwall for the rush-hour but

at the rain blowing into the South

West of Scotland as well. Further is

to be held on sunshine for the

remainder of the day and quite

pleasant in contrast. But the wind

temper as those mild temperatures.

Overnight we should be largely frost

free with that increasing cloud. So

again to three hours of rain for

most to start the day but bragging

the South in the West. Eventually

the rain set to clear Northern

Ireland into the afternoon had by

that stage pushing into Scotland,

wintry over the hills. Then some

sharp showers to follow behind. So

in the Atlantic, that influence

makes it still fairly mild. Then as

we go through Thursday night and

Friday you can see that wintry nest

increasing across the hills of

Scotland, temperatures starting to

fall away. Then another benefit

coming in so remaining unsettled.

Friday the wind still a feature in

the north and the East. The area

still mild in the south and west but

starting to fall away on Friday in

Scotland. The high-pressure is

starting to sink South and influence

the UK. Allowing that biting

easterly wind to return and also the

prospect of some snow later in the

weekend. The wind is the main

feature but growing concerns about

the potential snowfall as well.

Certainly not what we had last

weekend which was some mild and

springlike weather but we're back to

winter this weekend.

springlike weather but we're back to

winter this weekend.

A reminder of our main

story this lunchtime.

The Prime Minister has told MPs that

23 Russian diplomats will be

expelled from the UK. After Russia

ignored a deadline to explain why a

Soviet nerve agent was used on a

former spy in Salisbury.

There is no

alternative conclusion other than

that the Russian state was culpable

of the attempted murder of Sergei

Skripal and his daughter. And for

threatening the lives of other

richest citizen in Salisbury

including Detective Sergeant Nick

Bailey.

That's all from the BBC News at One

- so it's goodbye from me -

and on BBC One we now join the BBC's

news teams where you are.